Speak The Unspoken

By Glass Canvas

Speak the Unspoken is a conversation between Church leaders about what it means to reach people with the gospel in a post-Christendom age. In a time where people are looking to the world, themselves, ... more

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How many episodes does Speak The Unspoken have?

The podcast currently has 14 episodes available.

Speak The Unspoken episodes:

March 22, 2023 Episode 13: 013: Living in apostolic mode with Monsignor Shea (LIVE at SEEK 2023)
In this episode, we sit down with our friend Monsignor Shea from University of Mary. We talk about stepping into an apostolic age, the age of Fatherhood, warnings of longing for utopia, and what the saints of our age will look like.
We recorded this episode in the Spoke Street Booth at SEEK 2023.
Important Things
11:04 - We’ve come out of Christendom and into aposotlic mode but it is now about bringing back to the Church to which they feel like they have tasted and not liked.
13:36 - We’re stepping into the age of God as Father, where many people are in need of healing as sons and daughters.
14:56 - Attachement theory is about relationship which ultimatly impacts our relationship with God. The ultimate design of our hearts is to firmly attach to God as Father.
18:06 - The Church often operates in an orphan spirit that has left us hopeless about culture and the life of the Church. But we need to shift away from being fascinated by utopias or believing that resilience or pain squanders our hope.
25:45 - In every age, the Church comes against culture but there are always saints who rise up among it.
32:30 - The accuser reeks havoc on society with three main lies: the lie of shame, the lie of presumption, and the lie of self reliance. Shame says, you are not enough. Presumption says, what you do today doesn’t matter. And self reliance says, you are all alone.
39:20 - It’s anti-Christian to be nostalgic for “better days”. We are made for a purpose right now, in this time in history.
Lists & Resources
From Christendom to Apostolic Mission: https://www.amazon.ca/Christendom-Apostolic-Mission-Pastoral-Strategies-ebook/dp/B08B4SM488
Prime Matters:
https://primematters.com/
Spoke Street: https://spokestreet.com/
SEEK: https://seek.focus.org/
Shownotes
In this episode, we sit down with our friend Monsignor Shea from University of Mary. We talk about stepping into an apostolic age, the age of Fatherhood, warnings of longing for utopia, and what the saints of our age will look like.
We recorded this episode in the Spoke Street Booth at SEEK 2023.
Quotes
12:17 - “What’s different about the age in which we find ourselves in now is it’s not just about converting pagans; it’s about bringing back people who have believed they heard the gospel and convincing them that they should see it again for the first time, and that’s a very different task” - Monsignor
“The ultimate design of our hearts is to firmly attach to God as Father.” - Jason Jensen
“In every age this happens and in every age how does God answer? He raises up saints to be his warriors to fight for him within the church. And then the church builds up the immunity for the good of the Church and the good of the culture.” - Monsignor Shea
“The saints canonized in the next 50 years, are the ones who got infected by the disease of the culture and then they allowed Christ to transform them personally, and it’s the collective doing of saints becoming saints that are those antibodies.” - Jason
“The accuser reeks havoc on the hearts of men and women with these questions of shame, presumption, and self relance. And the answer to that is of course to reject them. And say no, I am enough and God has given me everything I need to fulfill my purpose in this life, what He has placed me here to do… He hasn’t given my mission to anyone else.” - Monsignor Shea
“The dark times are when Christians are really meant to shine. Christiantiy is a religion for a broken world.” - Monsignor Shea
...more
44min
March 17, 2023 Episode 13: 013: Living in apostolic mode with Monsignor Shea (LIVE at SEEK 2023)
Important Things
11:04 - We’ve come out of Christendom and into aposotlic mode but it is now about bringing back to the Church to which they feel like they have tasted and not liked.
13:36 - We’re stepping into the age of God as Father, where many people are in need of healing as sons and daughters.
14:56 - Attachement theory is about relationship which ultimatly impacts our relationship with God. The ultimate design of our hearts is to firmly attach to God as Father.
18:06 - The Church often operates in an orphan spirit that has left us hopeless about culture and the life of the Church. But we need to shift away from being fascinated by utopias or believing that resilience or pain squanders our hope.
25:45 - In every age, the Church comes against culture but there are always saints who rise up among it.
32:30 - The accuser reeks havoc on society with three main lies: the lie of shame, the lie of presumption, and the lie of self reliance. Shame says, you are not enough. Presumption says, what you do today doesn’t matter. And self reliance says, you are all alone.
39:20 - It’s anti-Christian to be nostalgic for “better days”. We are made for a purpose right now, in this time in history.
Lists & Resources
From Christendom to Apostolic Mission: https://www.amazon.ca/Christendom-Apostolic-Mission-Pastoral-Strategies-ebook/dp/B08B4SM488
Prime Matters:
https://primematters.com/
Spoke Street: https://spokestreet.com/
SEEK: https://seek.focus.org/
Shownotes
In this episode, we sit down with our friend Monsignor Shea from University of Mary. We talk about stepping into an apostolic age, the age of Fatherhood, warnings of longing for utopia, and what the saints of our age will look like.
We recorded this episode in the Spoke Street Booth at SEEK 2023.
Quotes
12:17 - “What’s different about the age in which we find ourselves in now is it’s not just about converting pagans; it’s about bringing back people who have believed they heard the gospel and convincing them that they should see it again for the first time, and that’s a very different task” - Monsignor Shea
“The ultimate design of our hearts is to firmly attach to God as Father.” - Jason Jensen
“In every age this happens and in every age how does God answer? He raises up saints to be his warriors to fight for him within the church. And then the church builds up the immunity for the good of the Church and the good of the culture.” - Monsignor Shea
“The saints canonized in the next 50 years, are the ones who got infected by the disease of the culture and then they allowed Christ to transform them personally, and it’s the collective doing of saints becoming saints that are those antibodies.” - Jason Jensen
“The accuser reeks havoc on the hearts of men and women with these questions of shame, presumption, and self relance. And the answer to that is of course to reject them. And say no, I am enough and God has given me everything I need to fulfill my purpose in this life, what He has placed me here to do… He hasn’t given my mission to anyone else.” - Monsignor Shea
“The dark times are when Christians are really meant to shine. Christiantiy is a religion for a broken world.” - Monsignor Shea
...more
44min
October 29, 2021 012: Meeting felt needs we don’t understand with Anna Cater
How do we meaningly engage conversation around topics that are highly charged in our culture? Join our conversation with Anna Carter, the founder of Eden Invitation, a community for Catholics that promotes the fullness of personal identity beyond the LGBTQ paradigm. We talk about acceptance, relationship, and finding common ground under compassionate orthodoxy.
### QUOTES
“One of the most critical things that is so simple yet so often overlooked, is the primacy of relationship with Christ in all these situations.” - Anna
What does the human heart need above sexual fulfillment: love, belonging, acceptance. That doesn't mean accepting the entirety of the person. I feel acceptance and people don't accept every sin I commit. We do have bigger paradigms to operate under but all of a sudden our paradigm within this context just shrinks, and we think, I have nothing.” - Jason
“If I love someone well, they stay. And I think that's the secret sauce of Jesus. It’s the woman at the well, Zacheus, the leper—all these people realize, this man is loving me.” - Jason
Part of [this] comes down to the individual accompaniment. Asking people, how is your prayer? What is the question behind their question? What’s going on in other aspects of his life and the full context of his life?” - Anna
“What would it look like if we suffered with those that are gender minorities? What are your pain points in the church? What are the expectations on your life? What’s hard? What is the suffering and how can I be in it with you?” - Anna
“It’s easy to put a wall up when someone experiences passion in a way that we don’t understand. When in reality, there are scorching passions inside all of us. Am I willing to be in tune with my own? Am I willing to be in tune with the way I cry out and to look at you from that gaze of understanding?” - Anna
“You can’t take someone into their story further than what you’re willing to go into yourself.” - Jason
*### The Important Things: *
7:40 - It’s not just always about giving someone the right tools, it's the relationship that keeps us walking with the Lord. We have to let go and guide someone towards a deeper relationship.
10:21 - A lot of it comes down to the individual accompaniment and asking the questions behind their questions. What is their context? What other aspects are going on in their life?
12:15 - “I think we are guilty of the same thing we accuse the LBGTQ community of doing. Which is identifying by sexuality…. All of a sudden, everything we know about ministry gets tossed out the window. Everything we know about human development and human formation and spiritual formation, all of a sudden it drops out of our backpack and we don’t know what to do. Which is sort of identifying them by it. It’s saying, because you’re this, I don’t have ways to help you.”
14:00 - The principle is being confident in your life in Jesus in order to offer it to others. The second is giving people what they need from a human level: belonging, love, acceptance.
26:15 - What do we do when we don’t know how to engage meaningfully? You have to consider: the internal reality of the hearer, your own intention, and how culture has infused words with different meanings. But what matters most of all is the heart. What is the intention behind the language and conversation?
48:08 - Compassionate orthodoxy: It can be empathy and understanding. But it can also be suffering with—to love, and be called to charity. What are their pains in culture and the Church? We can find common ground in the human experience of being in the wilderness.
Lists & Resources
https://www.edeninvitation.com/
https://www.instagram.com/edeninvitation/
https://www.facebook.com/edeninvitation/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmgNJ_UWwpyk_i1JlCP2Rbg
...more
1h 8min
October 15, 2021 011: Fighting shame culture with Tim Glemkowski
In a culture where identity is defined by the approval of peers and culture rather than authority, what is that doing to our souls? We talk with Tim Glemkowski, Director of Strategy at the Archdiocese of Denver as well as a speaker and author, about addressing shame with identity by better understanding we are fathered by God and the implications of that on how we share the Gospel. We talk about a way of life and how we get to freedom here and now.
The Important Things:
3:00 - We’re moving from a guilt-based culture to a shame-based culture. When we sin and feel that disconnect in ourselves, we feel like something is wrong with us instead of there is something that we need to rid ourselves of.
5:45 - To understand our culture, we have to understand shame. We have to understand sin has an objective impact on us, no matter whether we understand that it is sin or not.
8:00 - Our point of approval and definition of identity has shifted. We don’t need approval to be happy but believe we can do it on our own. We’re casting off these institutions and authority figures and yet, we still feel unsettled because the human heart is always made for God.
10:56 - When we don’t submit to an authority or believe in a divine order, we’re left with chaos. We’re looking around looking for answers rather than looking up. When we define our happiness and purpose, and it’s not fulfilling, there is then something wrong with me
13:12 - How does this shift the way we talk about the Kerygma? Shame culture still has a beautiful, hopeful answer in the Gospel. Shame culture requires us to go deeper than just confession of sin but understanding that we had a relationship with a perfect father that was broken. The message becomes more about who you are to Christ rather than purely the sin.
16:14 - the principles are timeless but the conversation speaks more to what they are experiencing. Even the original disciples talked about sin in a modern convention to relate to the people they were speaking to.
18:00 - In sin, we become captive and it breaks us down. And we’re not even aware of it. The cross is him coming back for us. This is how he fights for his children. The message is you matter more than your shame, more than you can even imagine. And the Catholic notion of response changes me in my nature and core, not just that my sin gets wiped away.
22:30 - We’re a generation so broken by fathers but we need the fatherhood to be healed. Living under his authority and freedom from being a child.
23:05 - Who is the central character of this story? A father who comes looking for his children. Jesus’s life is revealing the Father.
27:07 - When we talk about freedom, we talk about not having to whiteknuckle our faith and not sinning. There’s a way to live with God where you aren’t just efforting the whole things. There is freedom when you live in the radical confidence of the father’s love for you.
31:30 - How do we live this out as brothers and sisters in Christ? There used to be orders that led this but now is the age of the laity and it requires a radical new form of holiness, in community, that leads to mission.
51:14 - We have to rewire our mindset of why we’re doing what we’re doing. We have to think differently to then implement best practices.
55 - Finding the balance between letting the spirit lead and having program structure. How can we think through the different variables?
SHOW NOTES
We talk about how we communicate the gospel in a world that is moving from guilt culture to shame culture. We address Fatherhood, living in complete confidence that we are loved, and how we allow others in our life to experience that.
The principles of the gospel are always the same, but now we need to look at it through the eyes of those who haven’t experienced it yet. What are they experiencing? What are they searching for that Jesus can satisfy?
We have to fight shame culture with identity which means understanding who we are as children of God.
Part of communicating the gospel is living a way of life that exemplifies the power, transformation, and unity of being in the family of God.
QUOTES
“We need a way of talking about sin that actually responds to a shame vs. guilt culture.” - Tim
“When we recognize, I’m still super empty and doing all this and trying to live really well is not satisfying me; if we’re the arbiter of that, we’re also responsible for that too so then I am wrong, there must be something wrong with me.” - Tim
“We’ve been taken from our father’s house and what he’s doing when he is hanging on the cross is him getting his world back.” - Tim
It’s not just, my sin gets wiped away but to my very core, loved in my unloveliness, I actually become something lovable.” - Tim
“We’re a culture that is so let down by our fathers that we want to reject the authority of the Father, thinking that’s the source of the problem but it’s broken fathers. We need that fatherhood. Only under the umbrella of his authority that you can live the freedom that comes from being a child.” - Tim
“{The Gospel} is the story of a father. The father creates and then when his children are lost, he comes looking for them.” - Tim
“God is sewing in us the ability to not whiteknuckle our faith.” - Jason
“I really think this is the age of the laity. We as lay have to live this way of life. And if you look back at these orders and ask, how did they always bring renewal? A radical new way of holiness, in community that eventually led to mission. It’s community and mission.” - Tim
...more
1h 3min
October 05, 2021010: Way of life & criticalness of belonging with Gordy DeMarais
Gordy DeMarais, founder and President of Saint Paul’s Outreach in Minnesota joined us to talk about community, belonging, and the fundamental question that society is asking itself right now. We cover our role in the New Evangelization and the criticalness of discipleship, evangelism, and community in today’s society.
*The Important Things: *
2:37 - As the Church, we have the duty of scrutinizing the times of the signs so she might effectively proclaim and live the gospel in the circumstances that we find ourselves in. There are things that remain like the revelation of God, human questions and need, but then there are things that we need to discern with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
6:12 - The church has identified the New Evangelization and part of that is seeing the new mission field: our backyard. The solution to our times is not a book or program. It’s about creating a place of belonging.
9:15 - We are moving from a guilt culture to a shame culture. People no longer feel guilty for sin so when they do sin, it actually creates a pain associated with their identity rather than their behaviour.
12:35 - The fundamental question people are asking is: Who am I? This question comes when we don’t know God and in turn, we’re left with this fundamental radicalism and selfishness of seeking our own happiness, purpose, and identity.
21:00 - This question isn’t being answered because how we form community has changed. The Church hasn’t needed to respond to people’s need for belonging in the past because it was built into family and culture. That’s not the case anymore.
24:45 - People are trying to find some place to belong which means one of the powerful evangelistic doorways that is emerging is the witness and experience of Christian community.
28:13 - Definition of way of life in Christian context: General principle of orienting our day around slowing down in order to catch up with God and have Jesus at the center. Finding a rhythm with God.
32:30 - What defines this kind of community is the encounter with Jesus and commitment to one another. This becomes a foundation of learning to love.
49:20 - It comes down to embracing the truth of who God is and His love for me.
57:30 - If people are unsure of where to start with seeking community, it begins with radical honesty with God. From there, it’s about finding people, meeting in small groups, finding mentors, being in regular prayer, etc.
List & Resources
From Christendom to Apostolic Mission - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53637909-from-christendom-to-apostolic-mission
SPO - https://www.spo.org/
Anxiety and loneliness up in our culture - https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/alarming-covid-19-study-shows-80-of-respondents-report-significant-symptoms-of-depression#Study-findings
Called to Christian Joy and Maturity: Forming Missionary Disciples by Gordy DeMarais - https://www.amazon.ca/Called-Christian-Joy-Maturity-Missionary/dp/1593253877
SHOW NOTES
In this episode we talk about the New Evangelization and the question society is asking themselves: Who am I? We talk about how a relationship with God and one another helps us understand this question and then become a primary agent of evangelization in today’s world.
The Church hasn’t needed to form people in belonging before because culture and family did that for them. The Church now has to fill this role.
We need to create intentional communities defined by encounter and commitment.
QUOTES
“One of the powerful evangelistic doorways that is emerging is the witness and experience of Christian community. The new way of life. People actually living together in Christ characterized by a certain kind of joy. A certain kind of respect for one another. That’s what people are looking for.” - Gordy DeMarais
“With the New Evangelization, the Church has recognized in part that there’s a new mission field. And that new mission field is our backyard.” - Gordy DeMarais
“There’s something about God’s very nature that informs this fundamental question about, who am I? And at its core is, I am not alone and I’ve never been alone. And not only am I not alone in my call to be in communion with God but by His very nature, it points to my living in relationship with other people.” - Gordy DeMarais
“I think sometimes we think that just what we need to do is a better job at living church life. Our solutions need to be comprehensive. They need to be fundamental. There is no silver bullet; there is no quick fix. It’s not going to be the latest book or bringing in some speakers or adopting this new program. In a lot of ways, those are not diagnosing the problem correctly. They really are band-aid solutions and they aren’t going to be the seedbed that ultimately, the Church has in renewing the whole culture.” - Gordy DeMarais
“You don’t even start with the basic Gospel message of what God has done for us in Jesus. What you start with is the witness of a healthy, lived relationship.” - Gordy DeMarais
“Way of life is moving through seasons well to be in the rhythm of God. It’s not just reading your bible and praying everyday. It’s that and so much more and with others. ” - Jason Jensen
“You can’t be the family of God if the only reason you are in relationship with other people is because you are doing some function together.” - Gordy DeMarais
“Creatures created in the likeness and image of God who actually need to be formed in a school of love. To actually learn what it means to love.” - Gordy DeMarais
“Before you even get to what you do together as a people there needs to be this underlying commitment to these relationships however that’s expressed.” - Gordy DeMarais
“Take an approach to your prayer and relationship with God that is radical honesty. The lord doesn’t meet us in some future distant point that we need to get to. He meets us exactly where we’re at.” - Gordy DeMarais
...more
1h 4min
September 17, 2021009: Principles not programs with Pete Burak
Knowing who we are as sons and daughters is the starting point to evangelization. In this podcast, Jason sits down with Pete Burak from Intentional Disciples to talk about identity, authenticity, and reaching millennials who are leaving the Church. We talk about the importance of community in understanding our identity and the power of the gospel to shift the genre of our own narrative.
*The Important Things: *
5:20 - We’re dramatically declining as a Church when it comes to Millenials and Gen Z. Only 10-15% of self-identified Millennial Catholics are going to Mass every week
12:50 - The starting point of changing this culture starts with us, knowing Jesus, and living out the life of a disciple authentically. Our culture has an incredible radar for this and if our lives and hearts don’t reflect authentic faith and walk in Christ, we will not only be ignored but categorized as hypocritical.
17:00 - Knowing our identity is critical to evangelization. One of the great lies of the age is that we get to curate it for ourselves.
19:00 - In scripture, when Adam and Even take what was meant to be a gift, everything falls apart. When we receive our identity, everything flows in the right order. When we don’t, we grasp for our identity and it can all fall apart.
20:35 - Out of relationships, we understand what it means to be loved by Christ and who we are in Him.
23:18 - When there is a lack of authenticity, people don’t believe this message. They see a disconnect between our lives and what we’re saying.
24:15 - In culture, there used to be Christian dots in people’s hearts and ministry was the mode in which we connected them. But that’s not true anymore. We’re not creating those dots anymore. People define their own meaning, gender, truth, etc. and it’s leaving us miserable.
26:00 - When we lose ourselves, we find it. Submitting your will to the will of the Father in an act of faith and when we live this out, we treat each other better. It’s a more just, righteous, and loving society. But when everyone is defining their own meaning, it conflicts with society’s message that everyone is included. The different worldviews shut others down.
28:39 - Tribalism rises up where we seek out people who are safe and run from those who are unsafe. But having a tribe or a community actually helps us understand who we are in Christ’s image more fully. We need other people to reflect the heart of God to us.
35:16 - Jesus was incarnated and came at a particular time, place, people, and way of life in order to accomplish the mission God had put before Him. We have to think about that for us. Who are we called to incarnate with? This is necessary to discern evangelization. Evangelization is not something that we go out there to do but live right where we are. We have to have open eyes to see where He’s moving so that we have genuine interaction and bear witness to our lives, that we’re living through Jesus.
41:00 - Who are the people who like to be around you already? Start to manifest and incarnate Jesus in those relationships and see what the Holy Spirit has to do. Another key part is spirit-filled leadership.
42:50 - We have to be building the Kingdom in the first place, in our home. If we can’t do it there, how can we do it anywhere else? Working harder is not what God calls us into, it’s more about trusting HIm more.
55:15 - It’s not about finding a solution that scales but living by principles of evangelization.
58:30 - Programs are not the silver bullet to solving ministry problems. Our focus should be the individual and using programs and events to serve those people’s needs. We can have vision for the 99 but we can never lose sight of the one.
1:04:18 - The modern mind is attracted to the narrative. We have to start telling stories and helping people shift the narrative of their life through the story of the gospel.
List & Resources
Research shows that children frame their identity through which their parents see them - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2008.00567.x
Intentional Disciples - https://www.intentionaldisciples.net/
The Hour - https://anchor.fm/thehour
Pete Burak - https://www.instagram.com/peteburak/
*Show Notes *
In this episode we talk about the need for evangelization based on principles and not programs. We talk about starting with our own relationship with Jesus and letting that overflow of relationship with God and others be our starting point for evangelization.
We have to know who we are as sons and daughters of Christ first and foremost, and then live out authentic discipleship to Jesus in our lives.
Out of relationships, we understand what it means to be loved by Christ and who we are in Him.
We are called to first be on mission right where we are: with our family and friends.
Programs are not the solution to a ministry problem but what we use to serve the individual.
...more
1h 13min
August 06, 2021008: The power of story with Heather Khym
How we understand our own story impacts how we journey with others in their story. So what small and big story are we living out? Join us as we talk with Heather Khym from Abiding Together Podcast and Life Restoration about the power of understanding our own story, living in freedom, and the tension of living in truth in our world. We talk about the importance as ministry leaders, to lead with belonging first, story first, and felt needs first.
*The Important Things: *
(4:30) We are called to a full life but most of us end up living in a kind of mediocrity because the ways we want to live are upended by reactions within our heart, walls we put up. We need to grow in self awareness of ourselves and our bigger story.
(6:30) Self understanding is one of the most powerful things we can do in our growth in our relationship with God. Coming to an awareness of this with the goal of deep union with Jesus.
(11:00) We need the right interpretation of our story or we hardwire the wrong narrative and lose freedom. We have to cling to God’s narrative—love Himself.
(18: 27) In ministry, we get invited into other people's stories. It's sacred ground. And we get to invite Jesus into redeem. This is the adventure of the Christian life.
(21:00) Jesus, scripture, community and prayer is an anchor we can use to live our stories well and be in relationship with Jesus.
(22:15) We can get caught up in the day to day when we’re in ministry. We have to fight to think about the story people are experiencing at the moment.
(23:00) We are not meant to be alone and there are three key ways we can be in communion: We need peers to share with so they can come alongside us. We need someone ahead of us like a spiritual director or mentor to teach us things. And we need to bring each other into communion with Jesus
(31: 15)Confidence in our big story is a game changer in ministry. When we experience redemption, we don’t get scared of entering others.
(33:30) Our emotions can lead the narrative when truth needs to lead the narrative. This is how we can anchor ourselves in how to approach society and approach culture.
(43: 50) Most people have so many felt needs that we have to start there in order to reach them. We don’t stay there but we have to start there.
(44:30) Jesus was the master of meeting felt needs. Meeting people in their experience and pain. He sees people in their hurt, not the crowds all around Him. It’s less about the right theological system and more about people encountering love. Then the theology will make sense and we can understand the weight and importance of it. And historically, when the people of God meet the needs of the people in history, that’s when the Gospel moves.
(48:30) We have to start with felt needs so people experience belong, believe, and then behave. When we focus on those things first, it can radically change the ministry landscape.
List & Resources
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
“Emotions make excellent servants, but tyrannical masters.” - John Seymour
Abiding Together Podcast - https://www.abidingtogetherpodcast.com/
Life Restoration - https://www.liferestoration.ca/
SHOW NOTES
In this episode, we discuss navigating our own stories and how that empowers us to minister well to others through our own freedom and deeper empathy.
Understanding our own story and healing from that helps us step in and walk alongside others in their story
Being grounded in truth and then surrounded by scripture, community, and prayer is how we live out our story well.
True interpretation of our story leads to freedom
We have to begin with felt needs, creating belonging, and stories in order to help people understand the depth of their faith.
QUOTES
“Self understanding is one of the most powerful things we can do in our growth of our relationship with God.” - Jason
“We are called to a full life but most of us end up living in a kind of mediocrity because the ways we want to live are upended by reactions within our heart and walls we put up.” - Heather
“The ultimate thing that happens in bad interpretations (of our story) is a lack of freedom.” - Jason
“Everybody has a story that is unfolding and when we’re sensitive to that fact and to the places within our own story that are broken; it changes the way we minister to people.” - Heather
“Wouldn’t it be just great trust building for me not to have the pressure of whatever the ministry hat is and the pressure that I’m feeling? Rather, just saying, I’m a story interpreter with others. Then I can just sit there and listen to your story without an agenda and just understand what’s happening in your heart.” - Jason
“The difference between small stories and big stories is the degree to which you feel comfortable risking because you feel secure in your guide.” - Jason
“Even if we feel a certain way, even if it’s compassion and brokenness for someone… that doesn’t mean that I then have to change what I believe in order to meet that person where they are.” - Heather
“There is a time and place for everything. Most people have so many felt needs that it’s overwhelming.. You can’t go there with other (faith) stuff until you get into their story and you start journeying with them.” - Jason
“Sitting in the pews are people whose marriages are falling apart, they are more depressed and anxious than ever, they don’t know if they believe in God, their hearts are completely broken, they are in financial crisis, whatever it might be… there are stories sitting here who desperately need the Gospel. They need to know Jesus is there for them.” - Heather
“As ministers, we want to help people encounter the Jesus we’ve encountered. I pray we can live by those dynamics where it’s story first, belonging first, felt needs first. I think those are the things that give me so much hope.” - Jason
...more
51min
August 01, 2021 007: Do we need a new ministry model?
How do we start mapping our ministry model against the technological and cultural changes that are impacting our world? Do we need a new ministry model in today’s world and if so, what does that mean?
In our first episode, we’re talking about technology, ministry, and what it means to pursue Christ in today’s world so that we can be faithful to what we’re being called to in our day. We discuss what it means to relate to the Church and how we can meet people where they’re at right now.
Joining us is Michael Gormley of Catching Foxes Podcast.
The Important Things
(1:00) We are moving into a new ministry model that is not actually anything new but returning to an old way of ministry.
(3:30) The Church was a mustard seed in the early Church. It broke the cultural norms of Rome and disrupted things. And then for 1000 years, you could not live in Europe without being integrated with the liturgy. Everything was moulded by the Gospel. In today’s world, we’re becoming the mustard seed again.
(8:00) Littleness is the way of the Kingdom and spiritual growth.
(10:00) Parish structure was meant to orientate our faith life to the world based on geographical location—small groups in community. People used to consist of a life that was no more than 5 miles from where they lived. We can have deep relationships now outside of our geographical circles. But we aren’t orienting our ministry model around that reality enough.
(13:24) We have to map ministry around the world that is, not the world that was.
(1745) Pope Francis said we need to evangelize the technology continent. The truth of that is that people are gathering online. It is where the discussion of the day is happening and we need to meet people there
(18:40) It’s also how we frame evangelization like belong, believe, behave. The Church has to be family for people. It’s a philosophy to return to.
(29:00) We’ve jumped forward into the future and now the world is going to expect it. Our default is now Zoom calls and online, etc. It is the new normal.
(38:00) People need experiences. We don’t need programs, we need journeys where through the fullness of myself, experience God.
(44:45) Faith is going to start spreading in homes and small groups and it’s going to be impossible to slow down or put out.
Lists & Resources
In the last year, we’ve lost 20% of those affiliated to the Church - https://www.barna.com/research/changing-state-of-the-church/
Prophecy in Daniel - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel+2%3A34-35&version=NRSVCE
Parishes shaped by location - https://www.britannica.com/topic/parish-religion
White horse on the side of a hill in Britain- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/3000-year-old-uffington-horse-looms-over-english-countryside-180963968/
Pope Benedict said, “we need to evangelize the tech continent.” - https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/messages/communications/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20100124_44th-world-communications-day.html
Apple stores the most money per square footage than anywhere else. Make more money on iphone sales than microsoft in a year.
Apple head of retail wanted the the stores to become the new town square. This was a huge flop (this was not the information I found… https://www.indigo9digital.com/blog/the-secret-to-apple-stores-success)
Pope Francis said we need to develop an ecology of the heart, mind, and hands - https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2020/september/documents/papa-francesco_20200912_comunita-laudatosi.html
Parasynthetic system and sympathetic system - https://www.diffen.com/difference/Parasympathetic_nervous_system_vs_Sympathetic_nervous_system#:~:text=The%20parasympathetic%20nervous%20system%20(PNS,%22fight%20or%20flight%22%20response.
iPhones are becoming an extension of our being - https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/19/iphone-apple-privacy-smartphones-extension-of-ourselves
Pope Francis letter - office of Catechesis - https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-05/pope-establishes-ministry-of-catechist.html
*SHOW NOTES *
In this episode, we discuss the world we live in and how to map our ministry model against the world that is now instead of the world that was.
A new ministry model is not actually anything new but a right ordering of relationship to God and others.
We have to map our ministry model against the world that is and not the world that was.
We want to have a conversation around philosophies that have always defined the work of Jesus: littleness, creating belonging first, offering faith journeys and not just programs, etc.
QUOTES
“We’re seeing this new ministry model emerge and ministry being the right ordering of relationship according to the kingdom of God.” - Jason Jensen, CEO of Glass Canvas
“We have to start orienting our efforts around the world that is, instead of the world that has been.” - Jason Jensen, CEO of Glass Canvas
“Too often we are dismissive of technology to communicate the gospel… Maybe as a Catholic Church, we need to unleash technology in appropriate ways. - Gomer
“We used to gather in cathedrals or in the town church, that’s where everyone gathered. But we no longer do that. Where do we gather? We gather online. We gather digitally. We gather on social media. It's not the gathering that our hearts need but it is where the discussion of the day is happening.” - Jason Jensen, CEO of Glass Canvas
“Technology can also clear the way for more meaningful in-person relationship” - Gomer
“We’ve jumped forward into the future and now the world is going to expect it.” - Jason Jensen, CEO of Glass Canvas
“[The gospel] is going to start spreading in homes. It’s going to start spreading in small communities and that littleness again. And that’s powerful because once it catches, it’s pretty hard to put out.” - Jason Jensen, CEO of Glass Canvas
“The temptation for evangelists is compromising the church and what she asks of us and we water down the heroism of facing yourself in the morning as you truly are.” - Gomer
“To keep people in the church, we do this desperate thing where we loosen what it means to be a part of the church. But if we stay true to what the Church is asking, it actually draws people in.” - Gomer
...more
1h 3min
July 23, 2021006: What to expect from season two
In this episode, Jason and JM sit down to talk about how God has worked in Glass Canvas to bring us to this moment now where the team has shifted from being an agency to a product-based company. They talk about how God has clearly spoken and taught our team over the years and what to expect in season two of Speak the Unspoken Podcast.
Previous Glass Canvas Quarterly Statements:
Open the floodgates and wait for my hand - 10/19
Cultivate gardens - 6/19
Be at peace - 3/ 19
Called and anointed - 1/19
There is an entire community of ministries, individuals, families, and communities that made this journey possible that were not mentioned in this podcast. It would be a long list to name every one of them, but we do want to note that God was instrumental in bringing so many people into our lives to support us. Thank you to all.
Here are a few of the partnerships we mention in the episode:
OSV Challenge: https://www.osvchallenge.com/
Notre Dame Idea Center: https://ideacenter.nd.edu/
*Quotes: *
“The theme throughout all of [this] is what ended up becoming our brand promise, is to unlock ministry potential. If we think about what’s been going in the last eighteen months, that’s something we wanted to stay true to.” - Jason
“There was a disconnect between a really great tool for the business world and tools built within faith-based contexts that we’re built as great at the outside.” - Jason
“We didn’t set out to be where we are today. But God had this thread that we couldn’t even see but it just kept naturally progressing to the point where we are.” - JM
“I grew up a missionary kid, I’ve been a part of different things, but still, every quarterly I get excited for the fact that it’s still such an obvious way of seeing God work through multiple people and having that affirmation of what He is saying.” - JM
...more
28min
July 31, 2019 005: A Conversation with Signal Hill (Part 5 of 5)
Remember Signal Hill from Episode 1? We sat down to talk with this incredible organization about how they brought to life one of their most foundational tools—the Value Project. This unique student conference came to life from their why—Value Every Person. To do it well, they designed three days of speakers, workshops, and experiences specifically to engage high school students so they could personally experience what it means to value every human, starting with themselves.
*Our Favourite Quote: *
“Success in my mind is transforming the lives of the young person so that the message of
valuing themselves and others really begins to be internalized and expressed through making positive choices in their communities. And ultimately with the Summit, too, an emphasis on leadership so that they don't just stop with themselves but they keep trying to make their communities great.” - Derek, Signal Hill
Links & Resources:
Signal Hill - https://thesignalhill.com/about-us
Value Project - https://thesignalhill.com/initiatives/value-project-summit
Intro to Value Project Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_xZcN4qJVA&feature=youtu.be
...more
1h 18min

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The podcast currently has 14 episodes available.